A decade of world-leading software savvy delivered with a can-do attitude has won Company-X its fourth innovation award.
Hamilton Central Business Association named the creator of software for multinationals, government departments, and enterprises the winner of the Best Professional Services Innovation Award in February.
The Company-X team of nearly 60 software specialists is based at Wintec House in Hamilton.
The latest win comes after a series of innovative Company-X software projects benefiting the medical profession, transport sector, food processing, quality assurance, video production, and big tech industries.
Senior software developer Jiadong Chen built an innovative image classifier prototype app using artificial intelligence (AI) to detect bacterial and viral pneumonia in lung chest radiographs. The app won Microsoft's international Most Valuable Professional Global Cloud Skills Challenge competition in 2021.
Company-X co-founders David Hallett (left) and Jeremy Hughes. Photo / Supplied
"The world has changed due to the Covid-19 pandemic since 2020," Chen said. "Medical staff around the world have shown bravery and resilience in the fight against Covid-19, and some even sacrificed their lives while performing their duties. As an ordinary person, as a programmer, I also want to help.
"Therefore, using AI to try to help diagnose lung diseases, such as viral pneumonia, bacterial pneumonia, is an idea that I am interested in trying. And I am excited about the result and glad to be able to help."
Company-X built the world's first national roading data quality assurance solution in partnership with the Road Efficiency Group (REG), a collaboration between Local Government New Zealand and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. The REG Insights portal is used by every road controlling authority in New Zealand in a national change management programme.
Gamified e-learning safety and efficiency training software was built by Company-X for AsureQuality in Hamilton. Gamification is the use of game elements in non-game activities, enhancing engagement and understanding in e-learning environments.
A virtual reality simulation of a DeLaval rotary shed was also built by Company-X for dairy farmers to challenge each other in best practice at its National Agricultural Fieldays stand. Company-X built Voxcoda using text-to-speech technology to create voice-over audio files. There is no longer the need to hire voice talent, a studio, and a sound engineer. Voxcoda outputs in multiple languages.
A complex range of innovative software solutions has been provided by Company-X to Cisco since 2013.
"Company-X's key strength is building and managing highly proficient software development teams for domestic and international clients," said Company-X co-founder and director Jeremy Hughes.
"This win recognises our expertise in a range of technologies and our experience in delivering innovative solutions in diverse industries," added fellow co-founder and director David Hallett.
Augmented and virtual reality specialist Lance Bauerfeind said the win proved that Company-X was consistently "on the leading edge" when developing new solutions.
Company-X won the Independent Software Vendor category of the Reseller News Innovation Awards in 2020 and 2019, and is a finalist in the yet-to-be-announced 2021 awards.
Company-X also won the Roading Asset Management Innovation Award at the Road Infrastructure Management Forum in 2017.
